GPS Safety Warning

If you have a GPS unit in your car, keep it hidden when your vehicle is unoccupied, especially if you pre-programmed addresses in it. GPS units are a popular target of thieves. Having it in plain sight is an invitation for someone to break your window and steal it.

And, if that's not enough, consider this. You're out shopping and a thief steals your GPS. They turn it on and click "home" from the list of pre-programmed addresses. By the time you return to your car, report the crime and write up a report with the police officer, the thief will have also robbed your home.

Realistically, you probably don't need to program home into your GPS. Chances are that you know how to get there without any help! If you really want to program it, call it something else. Label it "Bill" or "Susie" or something that only you would know is your home address. You could avoid a major hassle.

More from the Dollar Stretcher

Don't Replace Door Locks

In changing my door lock, I have found that by having the cylinder "re-keyed" represents a huge savings (as much as 50%)as opposed to buying a new lock and chucking the old. Plus, it is a bit greener! Then, if one is slightly handy, installing the lock is a no-brainer! Even more savings here! Marian


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Leftover Turkey?

Sometimes after storing leftover turkey in the refrigerator, it gets a "different" taste to it. I have found that if you cover the turkey with chicken broth, it'll continue to taste fine. When re-heating the turkey, use the broth to make more
gravy. When freezing, the broth helps to protect against freezer burn.
Joann V. from Ohio


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Non-Toxic Flea Solution

If you have a problem with fleas on your cat or dog, here's a non-toxic trick. Take a nit comb that you can get alone or with lice shampoo (cheaper with the shampoo), dip the comb in vegetable oil, and comb your pet. The fleas and dander come right off. Your pet will love the combing, and it's natural and safe. Tracy J.


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Halloween Goodies

With Halloween just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about what goodies you will pass out to trick-or-treaters. While candy is the obvious choice, it can get expensive. Besides, the kids don't need all that junk!

Try looking around your house for non-food alternatives. Do you have a drawer full of colorful, unused pencils? How about a box full of like-new toy cars or untouched prizes from fast food meals? Maybe you have a pile of interesting stickers or
temporary tattoos. Do you have extra bouncy balls or novelty erasers? If you collect comic books or trading cards, weed out your collection and give away ones that you know aren't worth much money (check a collector book first to make sure).

After Halloween, watch at stores for 90% off holiday items. Stock up on multi-packs of party favors that can be given out as next year's treats. Be creative and think outside the candy box! Beth in Galesville, WI


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Convenient AND Cheap?

While many convenience items are more costly than their non-convenience counterparts, this is not always true. When my local supermarket puts the store brand shredded cheese on sale, the price per pound for the cheese is less than the
chunk cheese. Since I use a lot of cheese for my vegetarian night dinners, I stock up. Then I can have convenience and a good price. It pays to do the price comparison
Ruth C. from New Jersey


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Cleaning Smooth Top Stove

I bought a smooth top stove and started buying Pledge multi-surface cleaner (about $5 a bottle) to use on the top and to clean the stainless. It worked great, but one day I ran out and used my homemade vinegar counter spray instead. It also worked great and cost almost nothing. I also found that I could mist my laminate floor with it and use a Swiffer(r) type mop. It works great also. I mix equal amounts of water and vinegar and add a few drops of dish soap. I will save a lot in a year's time.
Linda H. in Warsaw, IN

Link of The Week: Patriarchal Blessing Request

Okay.  This is really truly cool.

The Church has established a website that enables members to not only request copies of their own patriarchal blessings, but also copies of their direct-line ancestors who are deceased.

So, I can now keep in my files the patriarchal blessing of my great-great-grandfather Oluf Christian Larsen who was the first Norwegian national to serve a mission in his homeland and then went on to fight in the Black Hawk wars in southern Utah, and marry four wives.

Or, I can get the record of my great-great-grandfather Joseph Nuttall who left Nut Hall in England to settle in eastern Utah and start his own dynasty.

Or, my sons can request the patriarchal blessing of their ancestor, Isaac Morley, a prosperous farmer who was mentioned in the D&C and did much to build the kingdom in Ohio, Illinois, and finally Utah.  Now, that would be a patriarchal blessing to study.

One more time, here is the link.

—freemom

Blog of the Week: Single Dad Laughing

Single Dad Laughing is written by a 30-year-old man who is struggling with the consequences of the second of two divorces.  He writes humor the vast majority of the time, but when he turns thoughtful he is insightful, and his posts make you sit up and think.

The author is the second of nine children who has grown up in a staunchly LDS family which appears to all the world like they have everything together. They are the perfectly happy family, except when they are not.  In his post, A Disease Called Perfection, he takes about the things people cover up for fear of what other people will think, and about the need for each of us to share our imperfections so that we can be part of the cure for Perfection.  The net result of this post is that in the eight hours that it has been posted, over 107 people have shared it on Facebook, 108 'like' it, and more than 60 people have left comments sharing their own struggles as they try to appear what everyone around them believes they should be.

A quote from his opening:

As a warning, the following post was written in complete desperation. I have recently learned some very sobering truths from people that I love dearly. These truths have set in motion a quest within me to do whatever I can to make a change. Today is not geared at funny. Today is geared at something greater. Read it to the very end. I promise you will be affected in a way you have always needed to be. I spent more than twelve hours writing this post because its message is that important to me.

I wonder. Am I the only one aware that there is an infectious mental disease laying siege on us right now? There is a serious pandemic of "Perfection" spreading, and it needs to stop. Hear me out because this is something for which I am passionately and constantly hurting. It's a sickness that I've been trying to put into words for years without much success. It's a sickness that I have personally struggled with. It's a sickness that at times has left me hiding in dark corners and hating myself.

Please, take the time to read this, share it with those you love, and talk to your family about it, especially your children.  Only when we learn to shake loose of our fears of the opinions of others will we really be able to truly love ourselves and all of God's children.

CPR: An Object Lesson

Twenty-two years ago, my sister was ill and I took her family dinner.  She lived several miles away and I would be gone more than an hour, so I took my two older sons with me.  Since he was ill and was at last sleeping (albeit on the sofa), I left my 18-month-old baby home in my husband's care.


The trip to my sister's house was uneventful.  However, as I turned into our apartment complex, I fell in behind a police car who was scanning the addresses with the probe light in the dark.  Not so much to my astonishment, the car stopped in front of my unit and were going to my front porch.  (We shared a porch with neighbors who had had visits from the police before).  My arms were full of dishes, so I told the boys to just go straight into the house and don't bother the police.  


As I approached our apartment from the parking lot, I realized that an ambulance was parked directly in front of our door, and that the police were not rushing into my neighbor's apartment but into my own.  That the incident happened while I was gone was a blessing for which I will always be grateful.  To see my baby lying lifeless on the floor would have knocked my feet from beneath me.


While I was gone, Paul had a febrile seizure and then stopped breathing.  However, my husband had been taught CPR while in the Air Force.  Despite how frightened he was, he immediately called 911 and began cardiorespiratory resuscitation.  By the time the ambulance arrived, he had restored Paul's breathing.  He was taken to the hospital, and we truly felt watched over that Paul had come to no serious harm.  More than 20 years later, he still mentions from time to time how frightened he had been and how grateful he is that he knew what to do and how to do it.

Without that knowledge, we would have never had this . . . 

. . . or this . . . 

                                         . . . or this . . . 

. . . . or this.

What I put to you is this:  of what worth is the safety—and quite possibly the future—of any member of your family and friends?  Hopefully, at least $30 and four hours of your time.


Yes, I am laying it on thick because I love to share pictures of my family a CPR class is scheduled for: 

Saturday, October 16, 2010, 

9am to 1 pm

for a cost of $30

Pre-register and pay by October 13th

Don't miss this opportunity to do something you have been meaning to do for years.  This is a fantastic price, particularly as you will certify for adults, children, and infants.  You can't beat it anywhere.  For location or other questions, please contact myself or Lucy Stern.  Contact information is available through our Google group.  Log-in is required.  Payment is to be made to Lucy Stern.  Anyone is welcome, so share with your friends.


Please, feel free to share your own experiences by commenting below.

My Redeemer Lives

Start your morning with this.

Fwd: Level 6 Pandemic Declared by WHO!

Don't panic!  But prepare for the fall.

On Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 8:21 PM, Cheryl Driggs wrote:

As predicted in our last newsletter, the World Health Organization has officially declared the H1N1 Influenza a worldwide pandemic.

Also, as expected, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan was careful to qualify that although the infected numbers are high, the severity is low and goes on to declare that raising the level to a level 6 pandemic status is no cause for panic.

(Note: It's been our experience that whenever the public is told not to panic, panic invariably ensues.)

The pandemic announcement means countries will now immediately activate their pandemic plans. The announcement will also trigger drug makers to speed up production of an H1N1 flu vaccine.

The WHO is urging nations not to close borders or restrict travel and trade, though it remains to be seen how closely that advice is followed.

Australia the tipping point?

The development that likely triggered the pandemic announcement was the sudden "community spread" of H1N1 in Victoria, Australia, which signalled it was entrenched in another region besides North America.

"Swine flu" cases in Australia soared to more than 1,000 on Monday and reached 1,260 by late Wednesday. The country now has the fifth-highest number of cases worldwide, after the United States, Mexico, Canada and Chile.

"We have tested 5,500 people in the last two weeks, that is more people than we test in our whole influenza season," Victorian state Premier John Brumby said Thursday as he defended his government's handling of the flu virus.

"Elsewhere around the world, in the United States and Canada, they are only testing the most serious cases."

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WHO tips on fighting the spread of H1N1 at home

The World Health Organization has released some tips on pandemic influenza prevention and mitigation, after declaring the H1N1 to be the world's first flu pandemic in four decades...

Social distancing -- keeping at least an arm's length distance away from others and minimizing gatherings -- is one recommended practice to limit contact with people who may be contagious.

Respiratory etiquette should be practiced. By having infected persons cover their coughs and sneezes, there will be less risk of others getting sick. Proper hand hygiene and good household ventilation are also recommended to keep people healthy.

Wear a facemask whenever you are in close proximity of an infected person.

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If you've been reading our newsletters for awhile you probably already know this stuff and hopefully you're well prepared in the event that this virus mutates into something far more serious.

By now you should have accumulated a good supply of face masks for yourself, your family, and your friends. (If you haven't, we urge you to act quickly, as today's Level 6 declaration is bound to produce a run on all available supplies.)

You should have some sort of hand antiseptic and you should be using it on a **regular basis.

You should have a stockpile of essentials such as food, medications, water and other important items (you can find a list on our website.)

It's worth repeating...this virus, although nasty, is not the killer we expected when it first emerged out of Mexico a couple of months ago. Hopefully it will remain relatively benign, but most experts are worried that when it re-emerges during the fall flu season in the north it could have mutated into a much more dangerous strain.

Your best defence, now and in the future, is to be prepared.

Wishing you continued good health

Bob & Julie Butler

http://www.survivetheflu.com

**While it's important to be using hand sanitizers on a regular basis during a flu pandemic, it's not such a good idea during normal times. Not only do they kill the bad bugs, they also kill the good ones. Your immune system is constantly bombarded with different pathogens that it learns how to fight. If you eliminate them all, you're making the job a lot tougher.

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

Re: More than water wings

Dear Friend of the Red Cross, Meet Abby and Audrey. They learned the importance of water safety in a big way—when they were just four and five years old. While playing at the pool one day, Audrey fell and started sinking toward the bottom in the deep end of a swimming pool. Using water safety skills she learned in a Red Cross swimming and water safety class, Abby was able to save her from drowning. "Thank goodness for Abby," says Audrey, now 13. "She just reached in, and pulled me up!" As summer gears up, do you know how to stay safe around the water? We've rounded up some important tips for you to check out before you grab your swimsuit and your sunscreen: http://www.redcross.org/watersafetytips Staying safe around water doesn't mean having kids wear water wings or floaties. Our tips include a handy summer water safety guide you can print out and share with your friends whether you're going to the pool or the beach. Nearly two-thirds of families with young children plan to swim in a place without a lifeguard this summer, according to a recent Red Cross survey. So it's important to know some basic water safety tips, maintain constant supervision over kids and learn how to respond to aquatic emergencies. Get all that information and more on our tips page: http://www.redcross.org/watersafetytips Have a great, safe summer! Sincerely, Connie Harvey American Red Cross Preparedness and Health and Safety P.S.Get a copy of the American Red Cross Water Safety Handbook and other summer safety gear at RedCrossStore.org. Don't miss the store coupons at the bottom of the summer water safety guide! Check it out here: http://www.redcross.org/watersafetytips Forward | Subscribe | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe © 2009 American Red Cross | 2025 E Street NW Washington DC 20006 You can help people affected by disasters, like the current floods, by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. On those rare occasions when donations exceed Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters. Your gift enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of all disasters. You may also call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or mail your donation, to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Donate by phone: 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) | Donate by Mail

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

Re: Chronicle article

Great article in the Houston Chronicle about home canning.

On Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 10:07 AM, Cheryl Driggs

This is in the Houston Chronicle today http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/food/6467021.html

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

Canning Recipes

To help light a fire under you, I thought we could share some of our favorite canning recipes.  For instance, I know Ginger loves to mix and match her berries and fruits when she make jam, and that Rebecca has a great salsa recipe her family can't live without.  Here is the very simple chili sauce recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation in my family:

Chili Sauce  (salsa Utah style):

36 large tomatoes 

8 large onions 

6 green peppers 

3 cups vinegar 

2 cups sugar 

1 tablespoon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon cloves 

1 tablespoon ginger 

4 tablespoons salt 

Peel and slice tomatoes. Add peppers and onions that have been chopped fine. Cook for 30 minutes, then add vinegar and spices and cook until of desired consistency. Seal in sterilized bottles. Makes 5 quarts. 

I will also be putting up a LOT of stewed tomatoes, but I would really like to get my hands on a good marinara sauce from scratch (nothing canned) recipe. 

Please, share what recipes you have, even if you've never before tried canning or freezing them.  All they have to be is made of vegetables and cooked.  Has anyone every tried freezing fresh salsa or pesto?

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

Fwd: 2009 Hurricane Workshop is this weekend!

Ladies, 

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the CenterPoint Energy Hurricane Workshop at the George R. Brown Convention Center.  This promises to be very informative and helpful.  Please put it at the top of your to-do list as we enter into the hurricane season.

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Dear Penny,   Reminder: 2009 Hurricane Workshop is this weekend! Don't forget to attend the Houston/Galveston National Weather Service 2009 Hurricane Workshop on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Workshop attendees will receive:   Up-to-date hurricane preparedness information including,   Evacuation plans Power restoration Hurricane predictions Giveaways including,  A free hurricane preparedness video and vendor-provided items, while supplies last A free lunch courtesy of Wal-Mart for the first 2,500 attendees A chance to enter a drawing for a free natural gas generator courtesy of the Home Depot or a Red Cross Family Survival Kit by playing the hurricane tracker scavenger hunt There will also be interactive activities suitable for the entire family including, The Kids Zone Activity Center with Radio Disney, and Visits with R.O.N. (Ready or Not), the interactive robot and Louie the Lightning Bug Visit hurricaneworkshop.com to register and view the agenda. Saturday, May 30 George R. Brown Convention Center 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. American Sign Language (ASL), Computer Assisted Realtime Translation (CART), and Spanish translators will be available.

CenterPoint Energy will not give your e-mail address to any third party.
Please review our privacy/security statement.

If you no longer wish to receive information from CenterPoint Energy, click here.
PLEASE NOTE: Unsubscribing here does not apply to business transactional messages about your account, which you will continue to receive.

CenterPoint Energy
1111 Louisiana
Houston, TX 77002
USA http://cl.mncenterpointenergy.com/unsub_center.aspx?s=fdf715757062027b71117174&j=fe651670756c047c7d13&mid=fef31579706302&lid=fe5a15757d660079701c&jb=ffcf14

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

Small and Simple Souls

Slow cooker recipes

Hey, all,

A friend on Facebook had a friend give her this site for slow-cooker recipes.  It looks pretty interesting.

http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/index-5b.html

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

Re: Living Essentials from BYU

Here's a wealth of information for everyone, whether you're new at the home storage game or are old hands. Take a look.

On Sat, May 16, 2009 at 3:34 PM, Cheryl Driggs  wrote:

Worth looking at.  You will want to record some of these due to the broadcast time!

http://www.byub.org/livingessentials/topics.aspx?tpc=fsep

--
Penny Freeman
Gratitude is the essence of joy.

VIRAMASK with Viraseal Emergency Filtration Adhesion Mask: 21st Century Goods

VIRAMASK with Viraseal Emergency Filtration Adhesion Mask: 21st Century Goods

Here is a mask that completely blocks all leakage around the mask by taping it to the face, the closest thing to total filtration you can get and still be breathing.

Swine Flu - made simple

Good info. Real simple.

World Health Organization raises pandemic alert again now to phase 5 - The Emergency Email & Wireless Network .......... www. EmergencyEmail.ORG ........ NewsEmergency.com

World Health Organization raises pandemic alert again now to phase 5 - The Emergency Email & Wireless Network .......... www. EmergencyEmail.ORG ........ NewsEmergency.com

NewsWatch: Breaking news: Swine flu map

NewsWatch: Breaking news: Swine flu map

This map from the Houston Chronicle gives a better idea of how the swine flu is spreading. The pink people represent suspected cases, red confirmed case, black deaths, great suspected death but unverified, blue 'flue-like' symptoms. Click on the figures for more details.

Pandemic Preparedness Planning

Pandemic Preparedness Planning

CDC - Influenza (Flu) | Fact Sheet: Good Health Habits for Preventing Seasonal Flu

CDC - Influenza (Flu) | Fact Sheet: Good Health Habits for Preventing Seasonal Flu

Simple easy advice from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta.